cunning

1someone who is cunning is clever and good at deceiving people in order to get what they want [= crafty]:

a cunning opponent

2behaviour or actions that are cunning are clever but dishonest and unfair, and are used to get what you want:

a cunning plan

3a cunning object or piece of equipment is clever and unusual:

a cunning little device for keeping out draughts

4American Englishold-fashionedattractive:

a cunning little dress

—cunninglyadverb

WORD FOCUS: intelligent WORD FOCUS: intelligent similar words:cleverespecially BrE/smartespecially AmEgood at learning or understanding things quicklybrightintelligent - used especially about young people brillianta brilliant scientist, writer, student, historian etc is extremely intelligent and does very good workbrainyinformalvery intelligent and good at studyinggifteda gifted child is extremely intelligentwisea wise person has a lot of experience and knowledge, and can give good advicecunning/craftygood at using your intelligence to trick peopleintelligent people:geniussomeone who is extremely intelligent and has great ideasintellectualsomeone who is well-educated and interested in art, science, or literature at a high levelintelligentsiaa country's intellectuals, considered as a single group➔ See alsointelligent

Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Advanced Learner's Dictionary.